News Stories!

Dear all,
I hope you had a cracking Christmas and New Year. I have gained a bit of weight - the ultimate sign of a good holiday!

Here's to the first set of good news stories of 2010 - the year of a fourth Labour term!

1. Excellent Economic News

http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/markets-economy/optimism-as-output-grows-1.1000546

2. A ridiculous notion from a ridiculous man

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7001607.ece

3. Interesting discussion on aspiration

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/24/new-labour-aspiration-gordon-brown

4. Tory policy is a vacuum. Jackie Ashley agrees.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/24/conservatives-cameron-policies-election

5. A funny pic. Proof that David Cameron was airbrushed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245105/David-Cameron-look-like-Elvis-poster-campaign.html

So there you go. Hope all your exams are going well.

Regards

Kyle

Top 5 Pieces of News

Hey all,

Here are the top 5 news pieces of the week.

1. Neither a good nor a bad piece about Labour, but a comment that shows, principles and substance are vitally important in a media saturated environmnet.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/28/government-adviser-david-nutt-labour

2. I have never trusted the new Tory think tank 'Respublica' - anyone who strings together a couple of diametrically opposed terms and calls it an idea is an idiot. But here's another reason.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/nov/04/red-tories-phillip-blond-conservatives

3. Yes, it's the Daily Mail, but there's nothing better than infighting.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231601/Camerons-team-job-says-aide-astonishing-attack.html

4. Another Respublica comment - but you have to understand, we have Giddens for the Labour party - at least he's well respected across the board. This guys a twit.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6934016.ece

5. A piece of news from my home patch - showing that the public won't abide ignorance.

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2009/11/26/racist-group-kicked-out-of-town-pub-59067-25254701/

Thanks,

Kyle

p.s. keep an eye out this week for all the news on the SNP's referendum paper.

Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is a phrase often thought of, but often ignored. It is thought to be a private issue. A new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in conjunction with the Equality and Human Rights Commission highlights that domestic is far from a private issue. It’s an issue that deserves the widest attention.
Domestic abuse can be described as “when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another” .In the UK alone, every year, at least one woman in four experiences domestic abuse – be it violence against the body, forced intercourse or rape, financial abuse, isolation or mental abuse. These are just some of the abuses that cause long term difficulties for individuals, families, communities and society. Over 100 women are killed each year as a result of domestic abuse. Disabled women are twice as likely to suffer domestic abuse. There also exist increasing cases of domestic abuse of men perpetrated by women. Whether done by men or women, domestic abuse is a cowardice act.
It is also an act that reverberates across society. Domestic abuse shouldn’t have to be diluted into numbers; it should be something that is universally rejected. That being said, violence against women costs the NHS £1.2 billion a year for physical injuries and £176 million for mental health support. The credit crunch has also affected services for domestic abuse sufferers. A survey of rape crisis England and Wales showed that almost a quarter face closure this year and almost 40% fear closure next year because of a lack of funding.
For those who have suffered domestic abuse, help is not always close to hand. And help is much more than just saying to the individual suffering; leave the relationship, it involves a lengthy and time consuming process to ensure that those who have suffered from domestic abuse are able to regain their confidence, walk down the street without fear and arrive at their house without apprehension.
That help is not always at hand. The report shows that a postcode lottery means that some sufferers of domestic abuse receive better help than others. All because of the area they live in. For example, for the 250, 000 a woman in Glasgow there exists 13 – 16 services available for those seeking refuge and help. Whilst in the Aberdeenshire area, there are merely 1 – 3 services available. It shouldn’t matter where someone lives; victims of domestic deserve the best help.
And the best kind of help revolves around services that provide a holistic service. The report highlights that victims of domestic need specialist help to overcome stigma of abuse, talk about their experiences and regain self – confidence as well as seeking avenues for justice to be served. But most all, victims need a refuge. A refuge from violence and a refuge from fear.
With this report it is hoped that the issue of domestic abuse is highlighted and that action is taken to ensure that everyone is a winner in the postcode lottery and that both men and women know and understand the help that is available. Not enough is being done and a lot more should be done. Because in domestic abuse, there are no ifs, there are no buts. Only victims.

Some things the Sun won't headline!

Dear all,

Please find enclosed your new weekly round up of the top 5 good news stories about Labour. With a strong anti Labour media it is important that news about Labour's achievements reache's it's members so that when we campaign on the doors steps we have proof of Labour continuing to change the UK for the better.

1. Without a doubt - our fantastic success in Glasgow.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8358429.stm

2. Some interesting new regarding our achievements in health care.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8356987.stm

3. Top scientists slam the SNP's energy policy

http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/markets-economy/snp-blasted-over-looming-energy-crisis-1.932465

4. Further promising economic signs

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/db5c0082-ceb4-11de-8812-00144feabdc0.html

5. A possible new strategy for Labour party

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1227505/You-wont-laughing-win-New-Labour-poster-morphs-Cameron-Osborne-X-Factor-twins-Jedward.html



Cheers,

Kyle

Cameron's Claims just dont stand up to facts!

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/domestic_politics/factcheck+labours+poverty+record/3420402

Once again, David Cameron is too pleased to shout out spin and lies. When will the Tories learn that when it comes to social issues, they have no idea!

The end of conference season

There are two kinds of speech at a party conference; there are good speeches and there are speeches made by good speakers. The difference is that while the former, though still well delivered, is written in order to promote policies, aims and ideas, the latter is written for the promotion only of the person who wrote it. As year by year we drift further into the realm of personality politics, the line between the two categories becomes increasingly blurred, to the point where it is now hard to judge the value of a party conference at all. Though in the past it has served as an opportunity for the press to put the spotlight on party policy and to give the grassroot membership the opportunity to take on an active role in influencing those policies as the party political system require, increasingly, conference season has become an opportunity for the party PR teams to exhibit their products out on the podium while the role of the membership is reduced in the press to providing lengths of applause as measurements of the popularity of key speakers. Party conferences may still provide members with a means of shaping policy, however as the role of the party diminishes in favour of individual personalities, so too has the value of conferences been undermined

Rolling Back the State?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/11/will-hutton-david-cameron-conference

A fantastic article from Will Hutton about the role of the state in the 21st Century.

The state does have a role to play. What role should that be?